Joining the dots – What does Net Zero look like within Scotland’s Historic Environment?

Why Net Zero is central to Scotland’s Historic Environment 

Four months into my role as Net Zero Lead at BEFS, one thing has become clear: while “net zero” is a term we hear almost daily, and in many different contexts and perspectives, there is still a great deal of uncertainty about what it means in practice for Scotland’s historic and built environment. 

Having previously worked in the political sphere, I came to understand that the transition to net zero is as much about people as it is about policy and technology. While net zero is often discussed in terms of carbon emissions and targets, the reality is that the transition looks very different across sectors, organisations, and communities. Each faces its own challenges, opportunities, and pace of change. What connects them all is the need to understand human behaviour and to support practical action that works in real-world contexts. 

What drew me to this role is the inextricable relationship between heritage, the built environment, and climate action; one of the most interesting aspects of moving into this sector has been seeing how climate conversations are approached here, particularly within the historic environment. Scotland’s existing buildings are not only central to its cultural identity and traditions, but also play an important role in shaping a more sustainable future. 

On one hand, climate change presents significant challenges for our historic environment. On the other, the historic environment has enormous potential to contribute to Scotland’s net zero ambitions, for example through the reuse, repair, maintenance and adaptation of existing buildings and places.  

There is a real opportunity to bring these conversations together, and this role provides a chance to help explore what that looks like in practice and how we can work collectively to make it happen. 

Alongside reducing emissions, I have always been particularly interested in climate adaptation and resilience. As the impacts of climate change become more visible, finding ways to make our buildings, places and historic sites more resilient is increasingly important.  

Why are we talking about net zero? 

At its simplest, net zero means reducing greenhouse gas emissions as far as possible and balancing any remaining emissions through removal or sequestration. In Scotland, achieving net zero by 2045 is a national commitment, and every sector has a role to play. 

For the built environment, the challenge is significant. Buildings, primarily new buildings, account for around 20% of Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions today, yet discussions about net zero often focus on new development and future technologies rather than the buildings and places that already exist. 

This is where the historic environment has an important role to play. Traditional buildings contain significant embodied carbon – the emissions already invested in extracting materials, transporting them and constructing the building itself. Unlike operational emissions, these emissions have already been spent and cannot be recovered. With around 80% of Scotland’s 2045 building stock already in existence, achieving net zero depends on conserving, repairing and adapting existing ones. Reuse avoids the substantial embodied carbon and waste associated with demolition and reconstruction, making existing buildings an essential part of Scotland’s climate response.

At the same time, there are genuine challenges. Retrofitting older and historic buildings requires careful consideration, specialist knowledge and an understanding of what makes these places significant. 

Why does this role exist? What do we need to achieve as a sector? 

The more people I speak to across the sector, the clearer it becomes that there is a strong consensus: heritage is a valuable and key contributor to net zero delivery! The Net Zero Lead role in BEFS team was co-created, in consultation with BEFS Members and the wider sector, due to a shared understanding that the historic environment sector has to be part of the national conversation around net zero, and that this requires a coordinated and joined up approach, representing a shared voice and message.  

One of my key priorities is helping to articulate that value and ensuring that the expertise within the sector is recognised in wider policy and delivery discussions. 

The sector has many differing views on the best pathways forward, but we can and must identify cross cutting areas of consensus, and share resources, knowledge, and data to identify the most efficient routes to transition. 

Equally important is the need to reflect on past and ongoing challenges. Recognising where the loss of buildings or inappropriate interventions has occurred provides valuable insight, helping to guide future planning. 

What is already happening? Where can we be more joined up? 

The encouraging news is that a huge amount of work is already underway. I have witnessed this firsthand. 

Across the sector, architects, surveyors, planners, conservation specialists, contractors, academics, community organisations, and more are exploring how traditional buildings can contribute to a resilient future. From developing green skills and researching low-carbon materials, to delivering energy efficiency upgrades and community-led regeneration projects, there is no lack of positive action. 

One of my early reflections is that many organisations are grappling with similar questions, often in parallel and whilst there is already an impressive amount of expertise across the sector, there are opportunities to strengthen connections between policymakers, practitioners, researchers and communities. There is also much we can learn from other sectors that have been navigating net zero transitions for longer. I have recently created a mapping output to understand BEFS contribution to net zero. Shorter version available here.

Being more joined up means sharing evidence more effectively, learning from both successes and failures, and developing consistent messages about the role the historic environment can play in achieving Scotland’s climate ambitions. It also means being open about areas where views differ. There will not be a single solution that works everywhere, so recognising and learning from this diversity of experience will be vital. 

At a strategic level, the development of a Route Map to Net Zero for Scotland’s Historic Environment – part of delivering Our Past, Our Future, the national strategy for the historic environment – provides an important opportunity to align activity across the sector and identify where collective effort can have the greatest impact. 

Looking ahead 

Part of the reason I was excited to take on this position is that it connects of some of the most important challenges and opportunities facing both our sector and wider society. For me, it is also about helping people find answers, navigate complex issues and identify practical ways forward.  

My first months have been spent listening, learning and building relationships. I truly have been struck by the depth of knowledge and passion that already exists. 

The challenge now is to connect that expertise, strengthen the evidence base with up-to-date data, and ensure that the historic environment’s contribution to net zero is fully recognised. We can promote net zero not as something being done to the sector, but as something the sector is already helping to deliver. 

Whether you are working on policy, retrofit, conservation – or anything else – achieving net zero will require collaboration across the whole policy landscape and across disciplines, professions and trades; by joining the dots without duplicating efforts, we can ensure that Scotland’s historic environment plays a central role in shaping a sustainable future. 

Please do sign up for the BEFS Bulletin to learn more about the sector’s activity, and reach out to me at oliviae@befs.org.uk if you have insights or questions regarding your own journey to net zero.

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